High-impact Resistant Tool

ABSTRACT

A high impact resistant tool comprises a steel shank. The steel shank has a hollow portion and first and second ends. The shank is adapted for insertion into a holder and connection to a driving mechanism. A carbide cap is joined at a brazed joint to the first end of the shank.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/135,595 which is a continuation in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/112,743 which is a continuation in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/051,738 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/051,689 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/051,586 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/021,051 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/021,019 which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/971,965 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/947,644, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/844,586. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/844,586 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/829,761. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/829,761 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/773,271. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/773,271 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/766,903. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/766,903 is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/766,865. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/766,865 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/742,304. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/742,304 is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/742,261. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/742,261 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/464,008. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/464,008 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,998. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,998 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,990. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,990 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,975. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,975 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,962. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,962 is a continuation in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/463,953. The present application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/695,672. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/695,672 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/686,831. All of these applications are herein incorporated by reference for all that they contain.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved cutting element or attack tool that may be used to break minerals or rocks or any hard materials in a variety of industries such as mining, drilling, asphalt, construction and excavation industries. Continuous use of a tool may result in wear and tear of the tool. Examples of high-impact resistant tools from the prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,225 to Stiffler, US Pub. No. 20050173966 to Mouthaan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,083 to Latham, U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,557 to Montgomery, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,321 to McKenry et al., US. Pub. No. 20030230926, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,723 to Mills, US Pub. No. 20020175555 to Merceir, U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,810 to Montgomery, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,758 to Beach, which are all herein incorporated by reference for all they contain.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,321 to McKenry et al., which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses an excavating tool and a bit for use therewith in which the bit is of small dimensions and is mounted in a block in which the bit is rotatable and which block is configured in such a manner that it can be welded to various types of holders so that a plurality of blocks and bits mounted on a holder make an excavating tool of selected style and size.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,087 to Hall, et al., which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses an attack tool for working natural and man-made materials that is made up of one or more segments, including a steel alloy base segment, an intermediate carbide wear protector segment, and a penetrator segment comprising a carbide substrate that is coated with a superhard material. The segments are joined at continuously curved surfaces vary from one another at about their apex in order to accommodate ease of manufacturing and to concentrate the bonding material in the region of greatest variance. The carbide used for the penetrator and the wear protector may have a cobalt binder, or it may be binderless. It may also be produced by the rapid omnidirectional compaction method as a means of controlling grain growth of the fine cobalt particles. The parts are brazed together in such a manner that the grain size of the carbide is not substantially altered. The superhard coating may consist of diamond, polycrystalline diamond, cubic boron nitride, binderless carbide, or combinations thereof.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A high-impact resistant tool comprises a steel shank. The steel shank has a hollow portion. The shank is adapted for insertion into a holder and connection to a driving mechanism. A carbide cap is joined at a brazed joint to the first end of the shank. In some embodiments, an impact tip may be disposed opposite a cavity in a base end of the cap.

A ceiling of the cavity may comprise a tapered geometry. The tool may be incorporated into a pavement milling machine, mining machine, trencher, or combinations thereof. The shank, the holder and the cavity of the cap may be substantially coaxial. The impact tip may be bonded to the cap opposite the base end. The tip may comprise a carbide segment bonded to a sintered polycrystalline diamond. The carbide segment of the impact tip may comprise a height of less than 10 mm. The diamond may comprise a substantially conical portion.

The diamond may comprise an axial thickness of at least 0.100 inches thick. The base end of the cap may overhang the first end of the shank. The hollow portion of the shank may contain a lubricant. The lubricant may be adapted to lubricate the outer diameter of the shank and an inner diameter of the holder. The braze joint may be tapered or planar. The cap may be asymmetric. The steel shank may comprise a substantially T-shaped geometry.

The shank may comprise a groove. The base end of the cap may comprise a protrusion adapted to interlock with the groove of the shank. The hollow portion of the shank may extend along an entire length of the shank from the first end to a second end. At least a portion of the cap may protrude into the hollow portion through the first end of the shank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of a plurality of high-impact resistant tools.

FIG. 2 is cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 3 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 4 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 5 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 6 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 7 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 8 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 8 a is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a cap.

FIG. 9 is cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of an impact tip.

FIG. 10 is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of an impact tip.

FIG. 11 a is cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of a high-impact resistant toot

FIG. 11 b is cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 12 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 13 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 13 a is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 13 b is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 13 c is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool.

FIG. 14 is perspective diagram of an embodiment of a rotary drag drill bit.

FIG. 15 is cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a rotary drag drill bit.

FIG. 16 is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of a downhole rotary drag drill bit.

FIG. 17 is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of a horizontal directional drill bit.

FIG. 18 is perspective diagram of an embodiment of a trenching machine.

FIG. 19 is perspective diagram of another embodiment of a trenching machine.

FIG. 20 is an orthogonal diagram of an embodiment of a mining machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of a plurality of a high-impact resistant tools 101 attached to a rotating drum 102 connected to the underside of a pavement milling machine 103. The milling machine 103 may be a cold planer used to degrade man-made formations such as pavement 104 prior to the placement of a new layer of pavement. Tools 101 may be attached to the drum 102 bringing the tools 101 into engagement with the formation. The holder 102 or block may hold the tool 101 at an angle offset from the direction of rotation, such that the tool 101 engages the pavement at a preferential angle.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a tool 101 may be designed for high-impact resistance and long life while in operation The tool 101 comprises a carbide cap 200 with an impact tip 201, a hollow shank 203 and a holder 204 adapted to receive the shank 203. The carbide cap 200 may comprise a cavity 205 with a tapered geometry. The cap and the shank may be brazed together at a braze joint 250. The cavity 205 and the hollow portion of the shank 203 may allow enough space for thermal expansion while brazing the cap 200 with the first end 210 of the shank 203. The carbide cap 200 may comprise tungsten carbide, calcium carbide, silicon carbide, cementite, boron carbide, tantalum carbide, titanium carbide or combination thereof. The impact tip 201 may comprise a super hard material 207 bonded to a carbide substrate 209 at a non-planar interface.

The super hard material 207 may comprise diamond, polycrystalline diamond with a binder concentration of 1 to 40 weight percent, cubic boron nitride, refractory metal bonded diamond, silicon bonded diamond, layered diamond, infiltrated diamond, thermally stable diamond, natural diamond, vapor deposited diamond, physically deposited diamond, diamond impregnated matrix, diamond impregnated carbide, monolithic diamond, polished diamond, course diamond, fine diamond, nonmetal catalyzed diamond, cemented metal carbide, chromium, titanium, aluminum, tungsten, or combinations thereof.

The hollow shank 203 may be press fit into the holder 204. The brazed joint 250 may be tapered. In some embodiments, brazed joint may be brazed along surfaces at different angles. A braze material may comprise copper, brass, lead, tin, silver or combinations thereof. The shank 203 may comprise a snap mechanism 240 adapted to hold the shank 203 and the holder 204 together. The largest diameter of the shank may overhand a portion of the outer diameter of the holder 204.

The tool 101 may be lubricated. The lubrication may be provided from the driving mechanism. In embodiments, where the driving mechanism is a drum, the drum may comprise a lubrication reservoir and a port may be formed in the drum which connects the lubrication reservoir to the hollow portion of the shank. The lubrication reservoir may be pressurized to force the lubrication between the outer diameter of the shank and the inner diameter of the holder. A weeping seal may provide the benefit of preventing the debris from entering between the shank and the inner diameter of the holder, while allowing some lubricant to escape to keep the seal clean.

In FIG. 3, a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of tool 101 is disclosed. The carbide cap 200 and the first end 210 of the shank 203 may be brazed together at a planar interface. Braze material may comprise a melting temperature from 700 to 1200 degrees Celsius; preferably the melting temperature is from 800 to 970 degrees Celsius. The heat for brazing may be typically provided by a hand-held torch, a furnace or an induction heating system. Preferably, the tip is brazed to the cap at the same time that the cap is brazed to the shank. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of tool 101. The carbide cap 200 and the first end 210 of the shank 203 may be brazed at a tapered interface.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of tool 101. The carbide cap 200 and the first end 210 of the shank 203 may be brazed together at a non-planar interface. The base end of the cap 200 may comprise a protrusion 500 adapted to be received without a recess of the first end 210 of the shank 203. The geometry of the brazed joint 250 may allow more surface area for brazing. The joint 250 may also interlock the base end of the cap 200 and the first end 210 of the shank 203 when brazed together.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of tool 101. The carbide cap 200 may be brazed with the first end 210 of the shank 203 at a planar interface. The first end of the shank 600 may comprise a groove to allow for thermal expansion while brazing.

FIG. 7 discloses a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of tool 101. The carbide cap 200 and the first end 210 of the shank 203 are brazed together at a planar interface. The carbide cap 200 may comprise a carbide tip 703.

FIG. 8 discloses a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of tool 101. The carbide cap 200 may be brazed to the first end 210 of a solid shank 803 at a tapered interface. The brazed joint 250 may comprise a positive slope. The base end of the cap 200 may comprise a cavity 800 with a tapered geometry. The solid shank 803 may have a cavity 807 formed in it's first end. The tool 101 may form a single cavity 850 when the cap 200 and the first end 210 of the shank 803 are brought together by brazing. The cavity 850 may allow space for thermal expansion while brazing.

FIG. 8 a is a cross sectional diagram of a cap 200 with multiple tapers 2000, 2001 adapted to be brazed to the shank. The cavity wall 2002 comprises a taper generally increase as it approaches the base end of the cap. The ceiling 2003 of the cap is generally rounded and may form an inverted spheric section, inverted centenary geometry, inverted ellipsoid, section, a parabola, or combinations thereof.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional diagram of an impact tip 201 of a tool 101. The impact tip 201 may comprise a diamond tip 207 with a carbide substrate 209. The impact tip 201 may possess generally conical shape. The diamond tip 207 may comprise two -third the height 901 of the impact tip 201. The impact tip 201 may be incorporated into the tool 101.

FIG. 10 is a perspective diagram of another impact tip of tool 101. The impact tip 1000 may comprise a diamond tip 1020 with a carbide substrate 1030. The impact tip 1000 may possess a circular base 1040. This impact tip may be well suited for applications where its edge 2004 impacts and cuts into a formation.

FIG. 11 a is a cross-sectional diagram of an embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool. The tool may comprise a carbide cap 200 with an impact tip 201 brazed with the first end 210 of the hollow shank 203. The cap 200 may comprise a cavity 205 aligned with the hollow shank 203. More than two-third of the height of the carbide cap 200 may be embedded inside the holder 204. In this embodiment, the shank may be press fit or anchored into the holder. The driving mechanism may be holder or block incorporated into a milling or mining drum. In other embodiments, it may be incorporated into a drill bit, percussion bit, roof bolt bit, roller cone bit, dredge, tunneling machine, trencher or combinations thereof. FIG. 11 b discloses the cap 200 also being brazed to the holder 204.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a high-impact resistant tool. The tool may comprise a carbide cap 200 with an impact tip 201 brazed with the hollow shank 203. The impact tip 201 may comprise a diamond tip 207 and a carbide substrate 209. The cap may be asymmetric with a tip with a generally flat portion. FIG. 13 also comprises an asymmetric cap with a generally pointed tip.

FIG. 13 a discloses cap 200 with a stem 270 that extends into the hollow portion of the shank. FIG. 13 b discloses a cap 200 without a cavity. FIG. 13 c discloses a cap 200 with a small cavity 205.

FIGS. 14-17 disclose bit that may be compatible with the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of a rotary drag drill bit 2050 used for drilling holes and breaking hard rocks. FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional diagram of another embodiment of a degradation assembly 100 which comprises an assembly protruding beyond the face 5004 of the drill bit. FIG. 16 discloses a type of drill bit adapted for drilling water wells 2051. FIG. 17 discloses a bit 2052 adapted for drilling horizontal wells.

FIGS. 18 and 19 disclose embodiments trenching machines that may also be compatible with the present invention. FIG. 18 discloses a wheel trencher 1400 while FIG. 19 discloses a chain trencher 1500.

FIG. 20 is an orthogonal diagram of an embodiment of a mining machine 2000 which may also incorporate the present invention

Whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 

1. A high-impact resistant tool, comprising: a steel shank comprising a hollow portion and a first end; the shank being adapted for insertion into a holder adapted to connect to a driving mechanism; and a carbide cap joined at a braze joint to the first end of the shank.
 2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a cavity in a base end.
 3. The tool of claim 1, wherein a ceiling of the cavity comprises a tapered geometry.
 4. The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool is incorporated into a pavement milling machine, mining machine, trencher, or combinations thereof.
 5. The tool of claim 1, wherein the shank, the holder and the cavity of the cap are substantially coaxial.
 6. The tool of claim 1, wherein the impact tip is bonded to the cap opposite the base end.
 7. The tool of claim 6 wherein the tip comprises a carbide segment bonded to a sintered polycrystalline diamond.
 8. The tool of claim 7, wherein the carbide segment of the impact tip comprises a height of less than 9 mm.
 9. The tool of claim 7, wherein the diamond comprises a substantially conical portion.
 10. The tool of claim 7, wherein the diamond comprises an axial thickness at least 0.100 inches thick.
 11. The tool of claim 1, wherein the base end of the cap overhangs the first end of the shank.
 12. The tool of claim 1, wherein the hollow portion of the shank contains a lubricant, and is adapted to supply the lubricant between an outer diameter of the shank and an inner diameter of the holder.
 13. The tool of claim 1, wherein the braze joint is tapered.
 14. The tool of claim 1, wherein the braze joint is planar.
 15. The tool of claim 1, wherein the shank comprises a groove.
 16. The tool of claim 15, wherein the base end of the cap comprises a protrusion adapted to extend into the groove.
 17. The tool of claim 1, wherein the hollow portion of the shank extends along an entire length of the shank from the first end to a second end.
 18. The tool of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cap protrudes into the hollow portion through the first end of the shank.
 19. The tool of claim 1, wherein the cap is asymmetric.
 20. The tool of claim 1, wherein the base end of the carbide cap and the first end of the steel shank comprising two cavities are brazed together to form a single cavity. 